Paradox
by LiveEatBreatheWrite
Summary: Jolene Hendrix had been a huge fan of The Walking Dead since they started airing, and she's finally going to a meet-and-greet. She wins a contest and ends up spending a day with Chandler Riggs! When the trip goes terribly wrong, one would think that they're prepared. But, no one would ever be prepared for what's to come. Rated T for cussing and gore and stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Welcome to ****_Paradox! _****Thanks for checking this out, I really appreciate it. If you would review, that would be fan-freaking-tastic!**

**~A.C~**

_Chapter 1: The Best Day of My Life_

**Jo**

I checked over my outfit for the fifth time that day. I moved my straightened hair to rest on my shoulders and ran my fingers through the length of it. The text on my royal blue t-shirt, which read _Stuff and Things, _was just below where my blonde hair ended, so it was easily visible. I just wore plain capris instead of my normal jeans. I grabbed my black Vans and slipped them on just as my mother called for me.

"Jo!"

I sighed and ran after my mother, who stood impatiently at the door. I grabbed my phone off of the charger and shoved into my pocket.

"Let's go," I breathed.

We hurried out the door and hopped into the car. A meet and greet event was being held at a nearby theater for my favorite show, _The Walking Dead. _I grabbed my phone and plugged my headphones in. I scrolled through my library and chose _Give Me Love _by _Ed Sheeran. _It was one of my favorites, mostly because the full version of the song had a cover of _The Parting Glass _at the end. The entire thing takes about eight minutes, so we're nearly there by the time I'm finished. I let my phone choose another, and it decides on _Misery Business _by _Paramore. _My playlist is… odd. I like so many bands and songs, so my music library has lots of different things. By the time the second song is over, we had reached the theater. A big, burly man stood at the entrance with a table beside him.

"Name?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Jolene Hendrix," I replied.

He looked at a clipboard which was previously held at his side along with his arms.

He flipped through the papers and found my name.

"You'll find your pass on the table."

I scanned the card table next to him and found my name easily.

I entered the building and waited for my mother to enter. After a few moments she joined me and we seated ourselves in the theater. After several minutes of animatedly chatting with my mother, a man asked for our attention on the stage.

"I would like to introduce, Andrew Lincoln, better known as Rick Grimes!"

A man with shaggy brown hair and a graying beard entered from backstage, waving at his adoring fans.

"Norman Reedus, better known as Daryl Dixon!"

Every girl in the theater screamed as the man entered, and he blew kisses and waved.

"Danai Gurira, better known as Michonne!"

The short-haired woman entered the stage confidently, delivering a small wave.

"Steven Yeun, better known as Glenn Rhee!"

The man entered the stage, sporting a large smile and waving.

"Lauren Cohan, better known as Maggie Greene!"

The gorgeous girl entered, smiling widely and blowing kisses to the audience.

"Scott Wilson, better known as Herschel Greene!"

The older gentleman entered the stage with surprising energy, waving with both of his hands.

"David Morrissey, better known as The Governor!"

The man entered and earned a few boo's, but smiled brightly nonetheless.

"And, finally, Chandler Riggs, better known as Carl Grimes!"

The teenaged boy entered the stage, simply raising his hand as he sat, obviously nervous about this meeting. I don't blame him; lots of people want his character dead!

The host quieted the audience and asked the first question, with me hanging onto every word.

**So, that's the first chapter! Please review, favorite, follow, etc. Thanks!**

**~A.C~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to those who've reviewed and favorited! Keep them coming! Here's the next chapter, where Chandler and Jo actually interact with eachother! Yay!** **~A.C~**

_Chapter 2: Giveaway_

**Jo**

"I want to thank every one of you for coming out to see the cast today, if you have an advanced pass, we're gonna travel to Suite 115 for signings."

I looked down at my advanced pass thankfully as I exited the theater, trying to find the room with my mother. Within a few minutes, we were let into the suite and separated into lines.

"Now, for the giveaway we promised you guys!" the host started, "One of you lucky individuals could win a day with a cast member! Each cast member will choose one person, and if you are chosen, you get to spend a day with them!"

Many people screamed, while I tried to keep my cool. On the inside, I felt like I was going to explode from the excitement. The cast entered the room and seated themselves on the longer table. I looked and saw that the first person to sign a headshot for me was Danai.

We were towards the end of the line, and after each person got something signed, they cycled through to the next person. When we finally reached Danai, she beamed at us and grabbed a new headshot.

"Hi! What's your name?"

"Hi! I'm Jo. I love Michonne!" I said excitedly.

"Thank you! I love meeting you guys! Here you are, Jo!"

She handed me a picture of Michonne with her signature on it. I smiled and thanked her. Our next signer was Steven Yeun, who smiled brightly the entire time. When we finally reached him, he grabbed a picture and waved us over.

"HI there! What's your name?"

"Hey! I'm Jo. Glenn is awesome!"

"No, you're awesome!" he shouted.

"Oh, stop it you."

He laughed and handed me the picture of him with his scribble on it.

Next, we reached Andrew. I noted his prominent English accent. We reached him and he glanced at my shirt and smiled wider.

"Hi, like your shirt."

"Thanks! How can you do the accent so well?" I asked, amazed.

"Very carefully," he laughed.

He gave me his picture and high-fived me as I headed off to the next person. Next was Chandler Riggs. He had to be one of my favorites, despite the hate that he gets. I just think that it's really cool that a person my age is a major player in the zombie apocalypse.

"Hi," he said focusing on getting his picture, "what's your name?"

He looked up and smiled at me goofily.

"I'm Jo. You're my favorite!"

He looked kind of shocked for a moment, and then he smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think it's cool that a kid is a major part of the show."

"Thank you!"

"Can I have a hug?"

He nodded enthusiastically. He stood and reached across the table to hug me.

"I look forward to spending the day with you," he mumbled into my ear.

When he pulled away, he grinned from ear to ear, most likely mimicking me.

"Nice meeting you!" he called.

I waved back and returned the compliment. Next was Norman.

"Hey, girl! How're you?"

"Fan-freakin'-tastic!"

"I like that answer. What's your name?"

"Jo."

He scribbled away on the picture and reached over to hug me when he gave me the picture.

The rest of the meetings were a blur. I couldn't forget about what Chandler said. After finishing with the signing, I sat in the theater, wringing my hands.

"Are you alright, hun?" my mother asked.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"No, you're not. Did you take your pill before we left?"

I nodded and sighed. I wished she wouldn't talk about this in public. It's embarrassing enough to have to take the stuff, but even more so when my mother talked about it so openly like this. The truth is: I don't even take it. I flushed them all down the drain a long time ago.

"Alright! The cast members have decided the winner of the dinner! Let's start with Andrew."

He had chosen a middle aged woman. She was rather pretty, and she looked very excited about his choice.

"Next is Steven's choice."

He chose a guy who looked around his age. He was obviously a big fan.

"Norman?"

He chose a younger woman, probably about ten years younger than himself. She was completely decked out in Daryl merchandise, and she was very pretty.

"Lauren?"

She chose a girl who looked about 18. She was dressed like her character, Maggie Greene, and she started to cry when her name was announced. I rolled my eyes at this. Sure, this might be like a role model to you, but you don't want to _cry _in front of them. You'll be embarrassed if you do.

"Next up is Danai."

She had chosen a girl, obviously a fan of Michonne. She had a shirt with Michonne's 'fabulous cat' on it.

"Scott is next."

He delivered a small speech, explaining that he couldn't choose just one person, so he wasn't going to choose anyone at all. That earned him a few sighs from the crowd, but the announcement moved on quickly nonetheless.

"Now, David."

He looked like he was debating for a while, but he finally chose a Governor look-a-like. He was a younger guy; he stood and pumped a fist in the air when his name was called.

"Finally, Chandler!"

Chandler stood and locked eyes with me, smiling as he spoke my name.

"I choose Jo."

I stood up carefully, knowing that a few girls in the theater might be jealous of me. A _shit ton _of girls on the internet think he's 'sexy.'

I smiled back at him and was about to sit back down when the host spoke up.

"Everyone who was chosen, please meet up with your cast member so we can take pictures for the AMC webpage!"

Well, _fuck._

I slowly headed over to Chandler and stood next to him. I sighed and waited for the camera to come around to us.

"Do I look ok?" I asked Chandler nervously.

"You look amazing."

I ducked my head down to hide my blush, but quickly composed myself. Just in time for the camera to show up.

"Strike a pose!"

Chandler slung an arm around my shoulder and smiled. I quickly mimicked his wide smile, and the camera flashed a few times.

"Beautiful! Thank you."

Chandler turned to me, hands shoved into his pockets.

"So, can I get a phone number?" he asked.

"Uh… of course. Um, here…"

I grabbed the Sharpie from his seat in the signing table and scribbled my number onto his hand.

"Thanks. I should probably give you mine too," he mumbled.

He grabbed the marker from me and scribbled lightly on my hand.

"Please. Don't. Give. _Anyone. _This. Number. So many people will stalk me," he stressed.

"I know. I'll wash it off of my hand as soon as it's in my phone."

"Thank you. Anyway, I will text you with any new info I get about this thing. Ok?"

"Ok. Thank you for choosing me, of all people."

"It's no problem. You seem like the most fun… and the least crazy out of everyone here."

My mother found me then and hugged me tightly.

"Congratulations, baby! I know that he's your favorite," my mother greeted loudly.

"Mom! Would you please?" I asked, embarrassed and certain Chandler heard.

"Sorry, honey, but I'm just very happy for you!"

"Can you be quietly happy from now on?"

My mother looked hurt by this, and I instantly felt bad for snapping at her.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to be hurtful."

"It's alright. Let's go."

My mother led me out of the building and to the car. As we were leaving, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I pulled it out and checked. It was an unknown number.

_Hey, is this Jo?_

I unlocked my phone and punched in the password and fired off a quick reply.

_Yes, is this Chandler?_

It wasn't long before he replied.

_Yep. The pictures are up on the website. _

_Oh, great. _

_What's wrong?_

_I don't exactly enjoy pictures. But, it was a picture with you, so I guess that's ok._

Wait… whoa. Why did I decide to send that?

My phone vibrated in my pocket again, but it was my best friend, Hannah.

_OMG. YOU GET TO HANG OUT WITH CHANDLER RIGGS. TAKE ME WITH YOU._

I sighed and laughed at my best friend. She had a bit of a crush on Chandler, and quite frankly, I didn't understand it.

_I do. And I can't. Whoops! BRB. He's calling me._

I sent this and chuckled, knowing she's probably fainting at her house. I wasn't lying, though. He was calling me. I quickly answered so that it wouldn't go to voicemail.

"Hello?" I answered

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Almost home. What about you?"

"The adults are talking, and I got bored. So, I called you."

"I'm flattered."

"You should be," he joked.

We both laughed at his joke.

"You should know, I'm almost certain my best friend is having a heart attack because she saw the picture online."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She has a bit of a celebrity crush on you. When we watch the show, every time your name pops up in the beginning credits, she says that your last name isn't Riggs. It's Sexypants."

He chuckled awkwardly, obviously not used to this type of attention.

"It's a radical scale with my character. Some people think Carl's an annoying little shit who should be dead, and some think that he… or I am really cute. It's weird."

"I would imagine so."

"Oh, crap. Gotta go. The adults need me apparently."

"Ok. Bye!"

I hung up on the call and saw that Hannah texted me.

_OMG. Calls lead to relationships. Do you know what relationships lead to?_

_Hugs._

I could practically hear her sigh on the other end. I loved to ruin her perverted jokes, because she always gets so worked up.

_I really hate you sometimes._

_But, you really love me sometimes, too._

_STFU._

_Lol J_

_It's not funnyyyyyyy._

_Yeah, it really is._

_I'm done talking to you._

She always pretends to be mad at me, and sometimes, she actually does get mad. She forgives me quickly usually. My phone vibrated again, and I my mother spoke up for the first time the entire ride.

"My, my, you're rather popular this evening. How's texting you?"

"Chandler. And Hannah."

"Ah."

I read the text and my stomach did a backflip.

_So, here's the deal. They're arranging for us to go to a waterpark tomorrow. We'll pick you up at like… noon. That alright?_

"Hey, Mom? Chandler and his… people are gonna pick me up and take us to a waterpark. Is that alright?"

"That's fine, sweetie. Just be safe!"

_That's perfectly fine. See you then!_

We arrived at my house and I prepared myself for the trip.

**So, Jo and Chandler fun in the sun next chapter! Apocalyptic situations are coming up; sorry the story is moving a little slowly :/ ~A.C~ **


	3. Chapter 3

**Two chapters in one day? Hell yeah! I'm on a roll! Anyway, here's the next chapter! ~A.C~**

_Chapter 3: Fun in the Sun_

**Jo**_  
_

A long, black limousine pulled up in front of my house, and I knew instantly who it was. I mean, who else would pick me up in a limo? I grabbed my bag quickly and flung the door open.

"Bye, Mom!" I shout.

"Bye, hon! Be careful!"

I close the door and run to the limo. A man in a suit opens the door to reveal a well-furnished interior that only held one person; Chandler. He had on a white t-shirt and blue swim trunks. I climbed into the vehicle and sat, placing my bag next to me. Chandler smiled in greeting and I returned the gesture.

"Ready for the waterpark?" he asked, excited.

"Of course!"

"So, we get the entire waterpark to ourselves, so, no lines."

"Are you kidding? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, it is."

We arrived shortly after leaving my house and we were greeted by an overly optimistic park employee.

"Welcome to Splish and Splash! We hope that you have a splash!" she chirps.

Once we pass her, I see Chandler roll his eyes, and I laugh at how accurately he displays what I was thinking. The speakers blared pop music as we walked into the park.

"Ready to have fun?"

**Chandler**

"Ready to have fun?" I inquired.

She nodded eagerly, sending her curly blonde hair into a frenzy. I chuckled at her enthusiasm as she turned to dig in her bag. She found her sunscreen; she obviously needed it because of her fair skin. She threw off her loose fitting shirt and stepped out of her shorts, revealing a navy blue bikini. I could feel my cheeks heating up, so I busied myself with taking off my shirt. Once it was off, I looked up at her. She was smiling and applying her sunscreen. Though she wasn't looking at me, I could see the beautiful happiness in her vibrant blue eyes. The sun peeked over her head, making her look more stunning than before.

_You look at me it's like you hit me with lightning_

The girl on the radio sang these lyrics, and it fit the situation perfectly. I knew she was pretty before, but now I realize she is stunning. I could hear her humming along with the song. She looked up at me and asked me something, but I could hear what it was.

"Hmm?"

"Do you need some sunscreen?"

I nod and she hands me her bottle. I spray it all over and rub it in.

"So, what to ride first?" I ask.

"Ooh! Let's do that one!"

She points to a towering orange slide that twists and turns several times.

"Looks awesome! Let's go!"

We grab a blue raft and climb to the top of the several flights of stairs. The ride attendant seemed rather bored; probably due to the decreased amount of activity.

"Alright, lightest goes in the front."

I let Jo climb into the front of the raft and then follow close behind. Once we were situated, the attendant signaled the lifeguard at the bottom.

"Ok, keep your hands and feet in the ride at all times. Have fun!"

We were shoved off and rocketed downwards and thrown violently into a right turn. Jo throws her hands in the air and cries out in glee. I follow suit, being thrown in every which way. When we reached the end of the ride, we disposed of the raft in the pile of matching ones. We start walking away when she turns to me and stops.

"Which one should we do now?"

I see a park employee stumbling towards her. Something dark stained her green polo and her hair stuck up in all different directions. She seemed to have a limp, and her eyes were dark and blank. The girl got closer and closer, increasingly growing faster. As she… no it, got closer, I could hear an audible throaty groaning. Terror exploded in the pit of my stomach as I realized what was happening. I grabbed Jo's hand and pulled her behind me.

"What the fuck?" I heard her shout behind me.

I charged at the girl, knowing enough about this to aim for the head. In a rush of adrenaline and fear, I grabbed the thing by the back of the head and slammed in into the ground, then proceeded to stomp on it until black blood stained my foot and the concrete around it.

"CHANDLER!?"

I turned to Jo, who had a horrified expression frozen on her face.

"What the _fuck _was that?!"

"We need to get out of here."

I moved to grab her by the hand, but she dodged my attempt and simply stared at me, petrified. She just stood for a moment, then turned and ran away from me. I just stood, staring after her until I felt fingers grasping me. I turned quickly and saw the optimistic girl from the front desperately trying to devour my flesh. I flung her off my shoulder and stomped her head in, like I did with the previous one. I heard the lifeguard cry in fear and I heard his feet hit the ground running, growing fainter and fainter as he got father and farther away. I decided to run in the same direction Jo did, before another one of those _things _could catch me. I called her name as I ran, hoping she wasn't dead, or worse, one of them. I ran for several minutes, finally finding her trying to climb the chain fence of the park.

"Jo!"

She turned to face me, her blue eyes wide with terror. She turned back to the fence so she could climb faster. I ran up to the fence and climbed it after her. It was rather easy; the training from the show was pretty useful sometimes. I got over soon after she did, quickly catching up to her. When I finally caught up to her, I grabbed her hand and she immediately started to struggle against my grip.

"Get the fuck away from me, you murderer!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

I grabbed her other hand and made her face me. She turned her face away from me, screaming for help.

"Jo. Listen to me."

"Why would I listen to you? You're just some fucking monster! Get the fuck away from me!"

Her words stung, but I convinced myself she was just scared.

"Look! We have to stick together now. The show is coming to life. The show is real!"

"No it isn't! You're just fucking crazy! Let me go!"

I let go of one of her hands and made her look into my eyes. She started to relax a little and I started whispering calming words to her.

"If we stick together, we'll be alright. Everything will be ok. We'll find our families, our friends, and everything will be fine. Ok?"

She nodded slowly, but the fear didn't leave her features.

"Are you still scared of me?"

She shook her head.

"Honest?"

She nodded.

"Ok. If I let you go, will you run away?"

She shook her head, and I released her hand and her face. She stood in the same place and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well, we'll need a plan. How the _hell _are we gonna get out of here?" she inquired.

That was an awfully good question.

**Operation Zombie Apocalypse is a-go. Hope you enjoyed; please review or favorite of whatevs if you did. Thanks! ~A.C~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Three chapters in one day?! Now, that's flippin' amazing! I'm going to warn you, this chapter might get a little gory. If you don't like that type o' thing, then you have been warned. Anyway, here ya go! ~A.C~**

_Chapter 4: Crimson Hands_

**Jo**

Goosebumps appear on my arms and my legs as I walk carefully to the parking lot of the park. I need to know how bad the walker pileup is. I wished that I was wearing more than a bikini. The afternoon was shockingly cold for a Georgia summer. I hold my breath and peek around the corner. A few of the dead people wander aimlessly around the parking lot, not looking for anything except for a meal. I release my breath and run back to Chandler, silently wishing my boobs wouldn't bounce around so much. He came into view and he was pacing, seemingly waiting for me. He heard my footsteps and turned quickly, only to see that it was me. He smiled slightly and continued pacing, eyes thoughtful. I brushed my hair out of my face and caught my breath.

"How the situation out there?"

"Not bad, actually. Only a few."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Ok. Do you think we should leave now, or wait until morning?" he asked.

"Well, there will most probably be more by the time tomorrow rolls around, so let's do it now."

"Good point. Let's go."

He grabbed my hand and walked in front of me. We run to the corner and then start to be quiet, so the walkers wouldn't hear us. We snuck across the pavement quietly, not daring to make a noise. Chandler and I finally got out of their earshot, we continued walking normally. We reached the main road used to get to the park. It was cluttered with cars, most of them abandoned and bombarded. I saw a familiar car; the poop brown SUV with a _Love the Earth _sticker on the bumper. It was Hannah's mom's car. I ran to it, escaping Chandler's grasp and ignoring his shouts. I ran as fast as I possibly could to the car and slammed my body against the passenger's side. I choked down a scream as I gazed upon the sight of my best friend being eaten alive, along with her mother. The expressions of terror frozen on their paled faces made hot tears fall from my eyes. I could hear _Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy_ by _Queen _playing softly on their radio. That made the tears fall faster because I knew that was Queen was their favorite band. They owned all of their CD's. Come to think of it, that was their favorite song by them. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and spun around quickly, only to see it was Chandler.

"Did you know them?" he asked, quietly.

"Yeah. That's my best friend and her mom."

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry," he sympathized .

"It's alright."

He wrapped his arms around me and let me cry in his shoulder. His arms felt reassuring wrapped around my body. I stopped crying quicker than I thought I would, and we continued walking along the cars, seeing if anyone else we knew would be there. We were nearing the end when we heard small cries coming from a little green car. It was surrounded by walkers, but we could see inside the car. A small girl and her mother sat, huddled together in the backseat of the car. The mother was trying to keep the girl from crying harder.

"Oh, shit. What should we do?" I asked Chandler.

Chandler found a nearby broken windshield of a car and knocked out two rather long shards of glass. In the process he managed to cut his hand, but he didn't seem to care. He handed me one to the glass shards.

"Here. We get the walkers away from there. Aim for the head," he explained quickly.

I nodded and readied the shard of glass, stained red for Chandler's blood. I stabbed one, another, and another. I stabbed many before we could reach the pair of scared people. The window was cracked from the efforts of the deadies trying to reach their food. When we made ourselves known to the woman, she unlocked the door for us and we opened the handle. The little girl, who looked around three years old, was still crying loudly. The woman was breathing heavily, but seemed relieved to see us there.

"Hi. My name is Marianne, and this is Josie. Do… do I know you somewhere?" she asked, looking at Chandler.

"Um… yeah, I… uh, I am… was… on a T.V show. The Walking Dead?"

"Wait a second… you're Carl!"

"Yeah… kind of ironic, huh?"

"Yeah," she laughed nervously.

"So, uhm, I'm going to sound like the worst fan in the history of the world, but I don't know your name. And who's you friend?" she aksed.

"I'm Chandler, and this is Jo."

When my name was spoken, I offered a small wave. She smiled and returned the wave.

"How old are you two."

"Fourteen."

"Where are your parents?"

"We don't know."

She gasped and raised a hand to her mouth.

"That's awful!" she exclaimed.

"We'll find them."

"I'll help you," she suddenly offered.

"No, it's fine, we-" I began, but she cut me off.

"I insist. My daughter were almost eaten alive by those… things, but we weren't thanks to you two. So, I'm going to help you find them. Where are they?"

"My mom lives in Willow's Bend, not too far from here," I explained.

"Well, let's get to it!"

She pushed past Chandler and I and hopped into the driver's side of her car. She motioned for us to get in. Chandler looked at me, as if to say _what could happen?_

So, we climbed into the car, much to Josie's displeasure.

"Mommy! I don't wanna talk to them! They hurt Daddy!"

Daddy?

We looked over to Marianne, who had a distressed expression.

"Her father was bitten. He was among the mess."

We nodded in understanding and decided to keep silent. Chandler grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly. I looked over to him. His kind blue eyes looked into my mine, telling me that they wouldn't leave me alone. That they would stay with me and protect me.

That they loved me.

I leaned my head against his strong shoulder and we sat silently until Marianne spoke.

"We're almost there. Tell me where to go."

I gave her the directions and we pulled up to my house. I looked to Chandler, hoping he would comfort me.

"I'm right here," he whispered to me.

We climbed out of the car, not letting go of each other's' hands. We walked slowly up to my house, once warm and comforting, now dark and intimidating. I reach out to the handle, cold to the touch, and turn it slowly.

"Mom?" I call.

All the lights in the house are flickering; there seemed to be a fight or a break in.

"Mom?" I repeat.

I hear a groan coming from the kitchen. I know full well what to expect, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to see it. See my mother decaying, a bite mark embedded into her flesh. I turn the corner and see exactly what I'd feared.

Adam Reader, the boy next door, was ripping my mother's abdomen apart, shoving her internal organs greedily and clumsily into his mouth. Her crimson blood was smeared everywhere; the walls, the floor, the kitchen table. Her face was turned to the side, her mouth gaping open and her eyes unblinking and… dead. I creep into the kitchen and grab a sharp knife from the drawer and sneak up on the distracted creature. I raise the knife above my head, ready to strike. I bring my weapon down on the creature's head. It uttered one last terrible groan before its body hit the ground with an unforgiving thump.

Then, silence.

I look over to my deceased mother. I kneel down to examine her body closer. Her thin glasses frames sat askew on her nose, one of the lenses cracked. I lift them gently from her face with both hands and place them beside my feet. I raise the knife once more, this time though, it feels much heavier in my hands. I know that I must do this, because if I don't, she might become one of those… despicable creatures. I run the knife through my mother's face, what little blood she had left staining her pale face and the floor below it. I stand and turn to Chandler, tears burning my eyes.

"Let's go upstairs and gather supplies. Some of my brother's old clothes might fit you."

He nodded silently and followed me up the stairs. I pointed out my brother's room; his things left exactly how they were before; messy. Chandler entered cautiously and started to scavenge.

I walked to my room and sat carefully on my bed, as if it was a foreign object. I sat, staring at the mirror across from where I sat. Scarlet and black stained from my hands up to my elbows. My blue eyes looked terrified and bloodshot. Some bloodstains spotted my bright blue bikini. I got up and closed my door so that Chandler wouldn't see me changing. I changed out of my freezing, damp swimsuit and into the clothes I wore when my brother, Drew, took me hunting. I observed myself in the mirror, taking in my appearance and deciding whether or not I could survive in them. My pants were light denim. My combat boots were brown and reached the middle of my calf. I had a white t-shirt under a brown leather jacket. I grabbed a blue duffel bag and threw it onto my bed. I grabbed as many articles of clothing as I could, leaving enough room for the handgun Mom kept in her bedroom. I knew that my brother kept some daggers in his room somewhere; I would leave some of those in case he came back. I grabbed a backpack and ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. I intentionally avoided the sight of Adam and my mother lying next to each other, dead. I passed them quickly and searched the pantry. I grabbed all of our cereal, chips, and granola bars; anything that would last for a long time. I grabbed the aluminum water bottles my mother kept in the cabinet and filled them with water. I grabbed all of the kitchen knives from the door and paused to grab the one I left by my mother. When I bent to grab it, I saw my mother's destroyed glasses lying, folded, next to it. I grabbed them delicately and slipped them into the pocket on the inside of my jacket. I then grabbed the knife and threw it carelessly into the bag, staining the inside with black and red. I climbed up the stairs quickly and knocked softly on my brother's closed door. I opened the door and found Chandler standing in the middle of the room, still in his swim trunks and biting his thumbnail.

"Do you need help?"

He looks up and nods. I drop the backpack in the entryway and help Chandler navigate my brother's impossibly unorganized room.

**That was intense, y'all. Whew. Anyway, I hope you liked it! Please review and favorite and stuff. Tenk you! ~A.C~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok guys, I know I haven't updated in forever and a day. But! I have I good excuse. My laptop charger snapped in half, thanks to a certain canine in my household. That means that I couldn't access the material I had already written. I literally just got it fixed today. But, here it is. Hope you enjoy!**

**~A.C~**

_Chapter 5: Surprise Visit_

**Chandler**

Jo moved swiftly around her brother's messy room, picking up things we might need. She threw clothing at me, and I shoved them in a duffel bag at my feet.

"Aha!" she cried suddenly, startling me.

"What it is?" I asked.

She held up a small box and opened it. It held a small collection of daggers.

"That's great!"

"I know."

She grabbed a few and placed them in the duffel bag.

"I need to leave some here. Just in case Drew comes back."

She returned to sifting through the piles of junk in the room.

"Ok, I think we have everything we can possibly have," she resolved, after nearly a half an hour of searching.

"I'm going to my mother's room for something. Change into something comfortable while I'm gone," she demanded.

She pushed past me and walked down the hall and into a different room. Once I had changed into a loose fitting t-shirt and jeans, I followed the path she took and found her in the master bedroom, kneeling by a bookshelf. I noticed she was fumbling with a combination lock attached to a safe. Once she'd turned it the last time, it opened and I saw two small handguns. She grabbed one of them and inspected it.

"Alright," I heard her whisper to herself.

"Let me grab my duffel bag and put this sucker in there, then we'll leave," she explained.

She walked quickly to her room to grab a light blue duffel bag and the backpack she'd left at the entryway of her brother's room. I grabbed the black duffel bag she'd let me use. We stomped down the stairs, Jo in front of me. We reached the bottom and were greeted by the sight of a man, probably about eighteen, standing in the middle of the living room. His eyes were staring at the kitchen, obviously at the bloody mess that was previously Jo's mother and the walker that was eating her.

"Drew?" Jo asked quietly.

The man, presumably Jo's brother, turned to identify the source of the question. Once his eyes locked with Jo's, his fists started to clench. His breathing became more labored, and his blue eyes flashed with fury.

"You…" he growled.

He charged to her and grabbed her by her throat and pushed her against a nearby wall. Jo tried to pry her brother's fingers from her throat, but he was too strong.

Rage started to grow in the pit of my stomach. It coursed through my veins, making my muscles contract and my teeth grind against each other. I dropped the duffel bag in my hand and lunged at Drew. I dug my fingernails into his arms and tugged on him. He seemed surprised my attack, so I got him on the ground. I was on top of him, my hand on his throat.

"Don't. You. _Ever. _Do that to her again."

His face was growing red, his attempts at breathing becoming more strained. I loosened my grip on his throat, deciding that it might not be a fantastic idea to kill him today.

"If I _ever _see you do that to her, or _anyone else _for that matter, I won't hesitate to kill you."

I threw his head to the ground and stood. Jo had a confused expression on her face, but she looked grateful that I had saved her. I retrieved my duffel bag and exited the house, Jo following close behind me. We moved quickly towards the car that had brought us here. We opened the door to the backseat, but didn't find what we were expecting. Josie's door was opened, and she had been thrown from the vehicle, lying in a pool of blood coming from a slit in her throat. Marianne seemed to have suffered from the same fate, black hair in a fan around her pale, horrified face.

"Drew… he… I…" Jo spoke, her voice breaking and tears slipping down her face.

New anger sprouted in my stomach, growing quickly and moving all throughout my body. Hate for Jo's brother made my body tremble, my breath come out heavily. It took everything in my power not to storm into the house and plant a bullet into his pretty little face.

Jo must've noticed my anger, because she spoke.

"Chandler?"

I looked at her, and the anger quickly dissolved. Tears and her mother's blood stained her fair face. Her pink lips trembled, and tears were constantly sprouting from her blue eyes.

"I don't know what happened to him. He never was this way. He was the most peaceful person I knew. But, now he…"

I moved so that I could wrap my arms around her, and I stroked her soft hair. Her cries got softer and softer, until she finally stopped.

"Jo?"

I moved her slowly from her position in my arms to find that she was asleep. I laid her down across the backseat and I grabbed her duffel bag. I opened it and pulled out a long dagger, then exited the car and shut the door behind me. I approached Josie's corpse carefully. I knelt next to it, and moved the mess of dark, curly hair from her face. Her bright, green eyes were frozen wide and petrified. Her mouth hung open, as if she was forever screaming. Her neck had a long slit in it, pouring blood and staining her bright pink t-shirt. I moved my fingers cautiously over to her eyes and shut them for her. I grabbed the dagger I brought with me and positioned it by her temple. I shut my eyes tightly and pushed it into her small skull. I opened my eyes and found the knife lodged into her head and blood gushing from the wound. I pulled the knife from the small girl's head and stood. I walked carefully to her mother and knelt next to her tall form. Her green eyes were closed, unlike her daughter's. Her long neck was slit, like Josie's. I performed the same execution on her as I did her daughter, and when I finished, I grabbed her by the hands. I dragged her into a field near the house. Once that was accomplished, I ran to her daughter and wrapped my arms around her body, carrying her bridal style to lie next to her mother. I placed her carefully, as if her heart was still beating, next to Marianne's corpse. I backed away slowly, half expecting them to leap up and bite into my arm.

They looked sort of… peaceful, lying there together. New puddles of blood were starting to form around them, and I decided that I had overstayed my welcome. I turned to find myself face-to-face with a decaying young woman. She reached out to latch onto my arm, but I dodged the slow being just in time. I swung the dagger that was still in my hand wildly at it, striking at it until it fell with one last groan and a loud thud. I ran back to the car, hoping that there weren't any more of those things near the car that contained a sleeping Jo.

Upon reaching the street, I found a walker approaching the car, slowly but steadily. I raised the dagger as I ran towards the decaying, walking corpse. I tackled it to the ground with a victorious yell and stabbed the knife through its delicate cranium. I stayed there a moment, staring into its vacant, unblinking eyes.

Whoever this was, he was no different than Marianne or Josie.

No different than Jo's friend and her mom.

No different than the park employees.

They were all dead.

Even if they came back, they were all dead.

That's what they were always meant to be.

Dead.

But, I… I was alive. I was thinking these thoughts right now. Someone has made it my mission to make sure that the dead don't take over humankind.

Someone has made it every survivor's mission to make sure that the living stay that way.

At least, for now.

I couldn't feel bad about this anymore.

I needed to be strong.

I needed to be Carl.

**Please review! It would make me all happy and warm inside. **

**~A.C~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok guys, I'm sorry this is a little bit late; just finishing up my summer assignments. School starts Monday for me, so updates will be less frequent, but hopefully more on schedule. I'll probably choose one day a week that will be known as "updating day". Whichever day is the least busy. I'll let you guys know as soon as I do. **

**And I would also like to acknowledge a special reader who left me two beautiful reviews that made me feel so, so good about myself and this story. **

**Wordsworth, thank you so much! You are truly an amazing person, and I'm so happy that you enjoy my writing. Your input means so much to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

**It's not just Wordsworth that's given me this amazing support, all of you have. Every last read this, or any other story of mine, gets makes me feel great. Just taking the chance and clicking on my story brings me joy. Thank you to all of the people reading this right now for your continued support! :D**

**On a less emotional note, here is your new chapter! Enjoy!**

**~A.C~**

_Chapter 6: Runaway_

**Jo**

Images of the deaths I'd witnessed that day flashed in my mind. They replayed in my mind, over and over, the blood spilling anew every second. I woke up with a start, finding that I was in Marianne's car. I sat up, trying to assess the situation around me.

No deadies. No people.

Except for a figure hunched over a body.

Chandler?

I gripped the car door handle and opened it slowly. I placed my feet firmly on the concrete and crept over to the figure.

"Chandler?" I asked quietly as I got closer.

The figure stood slowly, and turned to face me. Chandler's shaggy hair cast a shadow across his face. His blue eyes almost glowed in the dark, looking into mine.

"We can't feel bad about this anymore," he mumbled.

"What do you mean?" I replied quietly.

"They're already dead anyway. They're threatening our safety. Our lives. We can't let death destroy us from the inside. We. Can't. Feel. Bad."

I stood silently, stunned. Where the hell was this coming from? This wasn't him.

"Chandler, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me. I'm waking up. It'll happen to you soon enough," he snapped as he pushed past me, connecting harshly with my shoulder.

I stood, staring at where he used to stand as my heart shattered into millions of pieces.

I remembered this afternoon when we were travelling to the scene of my mother's death. He held me so tightly, so tenderly. He looked at me with compassion that I had no idea a young boy of fourteen had capacity for. When he held my hands, they felt warm and strong and comforting.

But the small amount of contact we had just seconds before was different. The familiar shock of his touch remained, but his hands weren't comforting anymore. I knew now that they would perform deadly deeds in the future if he kept to this dangerous path.

Hopefully he would change soon.

**Chandler**

God, she was so _stupid! _I thought she would see from my point of view. I thought that she was smarter than this. I know that in the long run, she'll realize. But, I couldn't have an idiot around; it's a massive liability. I've got to leave her. Maybe, if she goes to sleep in time, I'll grab the duffel and take off. The wood started getting thicker and thicker. Branches kept popping out in front of me, just making me waste more time. Moving them out of the way, just to have them snap back. After I have the daggers and the duffel, I can just cut the damn things up. I rip one of the weaker branches away, scraping my palm in the process. It stung for a moment, but I pushed the pain away. The back of my head ached dully. It was expanding rapidly, soon my entire brain hurt. My vision started to burn red. I tore blindly at the branches undoubtedly in front of me. I forced myself to keep moving. I could feel people following me, burning holes with their disapproving stares through my clothes. For now, the duffel didn't matter. I can get clothes. I can get weapons.

Suddenly, a confused, terrified young boy stumbled across my path. What a perfect opportunity. I grab his red skin and turn him towards me. My bright red hands grip his wrists tightly, the flimsy things ready to snap. Terror was evident in his crimson eyes. Scarlet tears streaked his red face.

"Just give me your weapons, and I'll let you live," I growled.

He reached for his pocket and pulled out a small X-ACTO knife and presented it to me with trembling hands. I let go of one of his wrists and snatched it up quickly. I pushed him away, fascinated with my new weapon, and I could hear him scramble away, leaves crunching as he sprinted from the scene. I flicked open the knife and noticed that there wasn't much blood on it yet. Lucky little bitch. I continued forward, slicing up any worthless branch that stood in my path. I was on a good path. I was on the path to survival. The girl, the liability, she would be dead soon enough. It's a shame. Her eyes were real pretty. The blue flashed in my mind, the only thing that wasn't red. There were two different kinds of blue: bright blue in the center and dark blue rimming the large eyes. But they were weak. They didn't know what I discovered today.

After what was probably a few hours, the girl slowly disappeared. I had long forgotten her name. Then, I forgot her beautiful frame. Her hair. Her trembling lips. Her red-tipped nose. Her bikini. But the hardest part were the eyes. And the voice. That annoying little tune that she hummed at the waterpark so long ago stuck in my mind for a while. A few days, at the most. But her damn eyes stuck, clear as day, in my mind.

The first few days, I didn't sleep. The burning, red vision stuck with me during that time. I soon felt tired, so I settled at the base of a strong oak. When I woke up, the red was gone, and so was the towering oak. The dry grass wasn't beneath me. It had been replaced with cold, damp concrete.

**Ok guys, so I'm thinking of posting this one-shot having to do with Carl. It's Post Apocalypse, and it stars Carl and an OC. Not Jo, or any other OC from my other stories. It should be up relatively soon, so, look out for it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I just want to begin with an apology. **

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a million years. School sucks! I have so many commitments and it ****_sucks!_**** I'm going to try to be more consistent, but I, unfortunately, cannot promise anything. Academics come first, after all. :(**

**Anywho, on a less depressing note, let's continue with the story!**

**~A.C~**

**Jo**

I stayed in the small, filthy car for a few days after Chandler left. I had thought, no, I had known, that he would come back. But, since he left, the small, nagging voice in the back of my mind kept telling me to move on. Both physically and emotionally. I mostly stayed in the stuffy vehicle; it was my only protection from the geeks and Drew. I ate the food in the pack sparingly. It had to last. It kept my strength up, but I knew that I would need some kind of protein soon. So, after a few days, waiting and hoping for Chandler's return, I realized that I should listen to the little voice more often. Because, most of the time, it was right.

That brings me to here. Six months later. The pack of food is nearing empty, and the hunting outfit that I had once donned had been traded with a bloodied, filthy, white tank top and short cutoffs, designed especially for me by _Chez X-ACTO. _My hunting boots still graced my feet, growing heavier and heavier with each step. I had stopped attempting to eat weeks ago. My sweat-drenched tank top hung loosely from my bony frame. My strength was diminishing rapidly. The duffel and the pack were growing heavy on my back. Hell, _I _was getting too heavy to carry.

Last month, I could tell that I was getting sick. Nothing major; just a fever and coughing. Typical shit. But, a cold left untreated can get real bad, real fast. A week later, the sweats started. Even though it had to be the middle of winter, I still melted, even with my modified wardrobe. By the next week, the fever had intensified greatly, and I couldn't keep anything down anymore. Not even water. My strength was almost gone. I had to stop constantly, to either vomit or hide from the occasional walker. Usually both, because their odor has become overpowering at this point. They usually take little notice of me; the smell of months of sick and sweat must mask my usually appetizing scent. I haven't come across a human since I left my neighborhood. I've been alone, in the woods, for this six month stretch. It's actually kind of refreshing. But lately, I think I'm going nuts. I hear things that aren't there. Like my mother's voice. Sometimes, even my brother's. I'll see these beautiful monarch butterflies, and try to catch them. Try to touch them. But as soon as my hand makes contact, the mirage disintegrates into orange and black dust.

This particular day, all of my past problems plagued me. The bile. The bone-rattling coughing fits. The fever. The hallucinations. This was the worse they've ever been. That day, I remember imagining a human for the first time. He looked familiar, but he looked strange to me as well. Something about this guy's face seemed familiar, but not in a good way. It was a boy. Most likely my age. Overgrown hair. Stern, freckled face. Cold, blue eyes. I just couldn't put my finger on it. His lips were moving, but the sound was delayed in my ears. My exhausted brain struggled to keep up, making his words blurred.

_Have you woken up yet?_

That's what I presumed he was saying. Sounded a whole hell of a lot like that. My usual headache started to throb harder and more painfully, most probably due to the extra exertion. My vision started to blur, making the mirage shift and swirl. It disappeared after a few seconds. Black started to creep up from the corners of my eyes. Colorful dots danced around the trees. I knew what this meant. Rest. Finally.

"Finally…" I heard myself whisper just before I lost consciousness.

**Chandler**

I heard the bomb shelter doors bang closed, which meant that Norman was back. He did the hunting here. I just did the chores. He clunked down the stairs and finally came into my field of vision. He held a few squirrels. Good day today. He grinned broadly, proud of his catch.

"We're gonna eat like _kings _tonight, Chan!"

This made me smile. It was always nice to be around someone who was so naturally optimistic. Even in the apocalypse.

"How many lame-brains did you run into?" I ask.

He shrugged, which most probably meant that he didn't have much trouble.

He started to skin the small rodents with that small X-ACTO knife that I apparently got a hold of somehow. I don't really remember much about the beginning. I remember being real emotional. I remember red.

And blue.

Beautiful blue eyes haunted my dreams every night. Haunted would be the wrong word, I suppose. The mesmerized me. Daily and nightly. The eyes stayed pushed in the back of my mind, but not pushed back far enough for me to forget them. The thing about it is: I have no fucking clue where they came from. Maybe, it was someone I was associated with in the first month or so. Sometimes, when I focus hard enough, I can hear a beautiful girl's voice softly singing along with some song. Other times, I can see the emotions swimming in the eyes. Happiness. Laughter.

But, most often, they are very sad. Very afraid. Very hurt. I'm pretty convinced I did something awful to her. I can see tears swimming in them, tiny saltwater droplets clinging to her thick lashes.

They drove me crazy. No one but me knew about this. There wasn't really anyone to tell, except Norman. I remember hanging out with him on set. He was one of the coolest adults I'd ever known. I almost was jealous of his son, Mingus. Mingus was pretty cool though. Real smart. And he liked music. Norman lost him early on. I felt sorry for him.

But, even though these occasional mental rants and ramblings distract me, the eyes are still there. And sometimes, I just have to get out of this damn shelter. The grey, concrete walls grew closer and closer with each hour that passed.

"Daryl… could I, uh, take a walk. Or something?"

"Course, kiddo. Grab a gun and be careful."

The dark haired man went back to skinning our dinner. I grabbed my favorite gun from the small shelf next to the stairway. I climbed up carefully, as the steps were made of quickly deteriorating wood which creaked loudly with each step. I reached the doors and pushed them open with a lot of force. The sudden sunlight burned my retinas, but they adjusted. I stepped outside, feeling small tufts of grass between the holes in my boots. The sky was a brilliant blue, and there was a chill in the air. Norman had mentioned something about winter starting not too long ago.

The bomb shelter was settled in the middle of thick woods. I guess whoever built it wanted to be secluded, or extra protected, or whatever. Not many geeks out right now. Plenty of really tall trees though. I pulled my jacket closer to my cold body. I could see my breath in the low temperature. Well, so much for slight chill. I breathed the fresh, cold air in deeply and relished the way it burned in my chest. So, I embarked on my journey. Excited of what I would find. Last time I went walking, I found a little doll. It had yellow, yarn pigtails and a bright pink dress on. I kept it, much at my own expense. Norman still hasn't stopped making fun of me for having a doll in my pack.

The dry leaves crunched underneath me, leaving a trail of noise that anyone could follow. It made me nervous. I stepped as quietly as I could, but I still made too much noise for my liking. Suddenly, I notice that I'm not the only one stepping. The steps were inconsistent, not in rhythm. Normally, this would automatically mean a walker. But, the steps were kind of far away. They would have started getting faster anyway, smelling some new grub. And I would hear some sort of moaning.

So, I did what any curious kid would do. I investigated.

I followed the crunching sounds, which grew louder and louder each second.

Until they stopped with a loud thump.

Now, there are a few possibilities. The most likely one is that someone just shot a walker and/or a person. I would've heard a bullet though, even if the gun had a silencer. I decided that there wasn't any danger, so I stepped out of the safety of the nearby bushes and found a girl, lying unconscious, in the middle of a clearing. Her long, blondish hair was spread in a fan around her pale face. Her clothes stuck to her starving frame. Eyes moved rapidly behind her closed eyelids. I could see her chest rising. I could hear her struggling to breathe as well.I observed that what little possessions she had were still on her back. I stepped to her cautiously, leaves crunching slowly behind me. I turned her over to remove her bags, making a mental note to get those later. I slipped my arms beneath her and picked her up, bridal style. Luckily, I hadn't travelled too far from the shelter, so it wasn't too taxing on me. I kicked the doors open, the sound resonating around the small room.

"Aye! Slammy! Calm the fuck down!" Norman scolded from below.

"Little help here?" I groaned.

His long haired head poked around the wall, and his annoyed expression changed quickly to one of concern.

"Chandler, what the _fuck _did you do this time?"

I bounded down the stairs, hoping that they could handle the extra weight. I got down successfully, and I placed the girl carefully on my makeshift mattress. I moved my fingers to her neck, trying to feel a pulse and ignoring various protests coming from Norman. Her pulse was very faint, but her skin still radiated heat. She's probably been bitten. I have to check. I lifted her tank top and was shocked to find out how skinny she was. I could count her ribs. But, no bites. I put her shirt back down and looked down at her unmoving legs. They were remarkably thin as well. Nothing there either.

"-did you think we could do? She's on death's doorstep, and we don't even fucking know her name!"

"Just… get her water or something. We can fix her."

I could hear him cursing under his breath, moving to grab one of our canteens. He twists the cap off feverishly and pushes it up to her closed mouth. Some of the precious fluid dribbles out of the side of her mouth, but most of it makes it down her throat. Norman takes some of the water in his hands and spreads it across her unnaturally warm forehead. The girl's eyes open slowly at first, but fly open. Her breathing becomes quicker and more labored as she slowly raises her hand. It trembles greatly, as if it took a lot of strength to perform that simple action. Her shaking hand finally reached her pocket and she pulled out a small pocket knife. She flipped it open and wielded it. She only held it for a moment before she lost consciousness again and dropped her weapon. I picked it up off of the floor and pocketed it. Now would be a good time to grab her duffels, I suppose.

"I'm gonna go get her duffel bags that she had. Could have useful stuff in them," I explained.

"True. But, we only keep her shit if she doesn't make it."

I nod and stomp up the stairs. I hear the girl start to moan as I open the door with a loud creak.

**Alright! So, ARE YOU GUYS EXCITED? SEASON THREE STARTS IN LESS THAN TWENTY DAYS HOLY SHIT IM SO EXCITED ASDFGHJLKLALSKDJFAL;ASLDFKJLSDFKHDFASLDFAS! SHARE YOUR FEELINGS IN THE REVIEWS SECTION! I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!**

**~A.C~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys... so... uh... how're you? **

**I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER AUGHAUGHAUGHAUAHGAUGHAUGHAUGHAGH!**

**Here is your chapter. **

**~A.C~**

**Jo**

I hear my bedroom door creak open loudly. I cover my face with my hand and groan. I really didn't want to go to school today.

"Five more minutes…"

Then everything rushes back to me in a flood of terrible memories.

Oh.

Then the sickness washes over me like a tidal wave. Something is in my stomach; I can tell. It's all churning around. Oh, good. Here it comes. I open my eyes quickly and the concrete world around me appears. I find the ground and I let it out. I hear a man shout several profanities, but frankly, I didn't really care at the moment.

Once I'm finished, I can tell that I don't have much more time awake. I lift my head slowly, knowing if I move too fast, I'll be sick again. The man is standing next to a chair, eyes wide in disgust. His mouth was moving, but I was struggling to hear what he was saying. He could be another hallucination. That's what I dismiss it as, until he reaches over and helps me sit up. He forces more water down my throat. I want to fight him; tell him that it won't matter because I can't keep it down. But, I'm too weak. I take in my surroundings, carefully moving my eyes around the room. I remember it vaguely from my burst of consciousness before. I saw the man and a boy. He looked like that boy I imagined in the forest. It was probably just another hallucination. But, fortunately, only the man was real. The boy I keep seeing doesn't like me. And I don't like him.

"What's your name?" A slight Californian accent addresses me.

I move my hand up to take the canteen away from my lips so I could answer, but he already took it away.

"Jo."

"Jo? Do you know Chandler?"

Chandler sounds familiar. Then, the pain comes crashing back. A roaring headache returns and I nod.

He takes my hand and finds my eyes. His eyes were handsome; a blue that was so light it was almost transparent. His eyes weren't cold or condescending; they were friendly.

"Chandler should be back soon. I need you to talk to him."

What?

"He's… here?"

He nodded.

I tried to wrench my hands from his so I could leave. I didn't want to see that despicable human being. He would just hurt me again. The man held onto me tighter and made me look at him again. The room started to shrink; the walls growing closer and closer to the man's rugged features. Oh, God. Not again. The familiar adrenaline rushes through the vessels in my brain. The man must've sensed that something was wrong, so he tried to say something. I could feel his chest rumbling and I could see his lips moving, but no intelligible words come out of them. I shook my head, trying to tell him that I couldn't understand him. My throat was starting to constrict, so I started breathing harder to satisfy. I tried harder to get away from the man, but he was too strong. I heard a door creak open and some loud, echoing footsteps. I found the source of the noise, and it was a strange looking shadow. I could see that the shadow was about as tall as me. It stepped in the light and I found the boy from my hallucinations. It dropped the bags it held and went over to me. It said something to the man, but again, I couldn't tell what it was. The man replied, and stood. The boy took his place and held my hands. He made me look at him in the eyes. They were familiar to me. Not in a good way; they reminded me of pain. I tried to focus on something, anything else. The eyes took up all of my vision, though. I didn't hear the distant rambling of voices. He wasn't trying to calm me down. He was just looking at me. The eyes were blue, like the man's. But, they were different too. These looked at me with wonder and amazement.

"Jo?"

I heard my name distantly spoken by, who I assumed, was the boy. I nodded at him. His eyes looked confused, but they asked me to calm down.

"-Chandler."

He said something about Chandler. His hands moved from my hands to my shoulders. He brought me closer to him, and engulfed me in an embrace. He murmured things in my ear, but I couldn't hear them. I shook my head and tried to get away from him. Unlike the man, he let me go. I backed away from him, his face visible to me now. My vision was slowly returning to me, but the corners were blurred. I hit a wall, and I made myself as small as I could against it. The boy looked dirty. His hair was overgrown, and his face was covered with dirt. A calloused hand reached out to me. I could make out some of what he was saying.

"stay…calm…breathe….sorry…"

Why would he say he was sorry to me? He had no reason to be sorry. I had to voice my concerns.

"Look," I said, loudly as I could.

The boy stopped talking.

"I have no idea where the hell I am, and I don't know who you guys are. I just need to… calm down. I just... felt cornered or something. That triggers stuff like this."

"You just had a full blown panic attack because you felt _cornered? _I barely did anything to you!" the man exclaimed, irritated.

"I have anxiety real bad. They told me before this whole thing started."

"Well, that's peachy."

The man put a hand against his chest and spoke.

"My name is Norman."

The boy followed suit, although when he spoke, his voice sounded hurt.

"My name is Chandler."

Shit. Fuck. Damn.

"Chandler. You're here."

"Uh… yeah."

Then, I really took in the sight of Chandler. My 'hallucination'. He must've changed a lot in these six months. Either that, or I'm just really sick. Probably the latter. I let out what was supposed to be some kind of chuckle, but I ended up launching into one of my coughing fits. Warm, thick substance makes its way to the back of my throat. It exits my mouth and stains my face and clothes. It stains the concrete walls around me. It stains the old, white sheets beneath me. My vision starts to spin, but it doesn't disguise the look of concern of both the boys' faces. Norman moves, but Chandler just stays, staring at me. I felt like screaming at him: _Hello? Sick girl is coughing up blood here! _

But I couldn't. I might choke on my own blood in my mouth. I tried to communicate with him with my eyes. I found his in the spinning, darkening room and tried to tell him that I needed some kind of help. Then, he looked terrified. He stood up and tried to move closer to me, but Norman got to me first. He started to wipe the crimson fluid from my face with what felt like a damp washcloth. I heard my coughing slowly fade, and the world was swallowed by black.


End file.
